The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1887-10-27
THOSE INDEMNITY LANDS.

A great hullabaloo is now being
raised by the republican press Of Da-
kota over the bold stand taken by the
u. s.. government in respect to
the millions and millions of acres that
under the name OF indemnity lands
have been appropriated by several
great railroad corporations Of the
country.
The Pioneer Press Of St. Paul oh.
serving the effect which the restoration
of 80 many stolen acres of land to the
public domain must have rs affecting
the prospects Of the Democratic party
before the people, is seeking by many
devious ways to break down the good
effect Of this act of the land depart
ment of the government, Bat the fact
still remains and stands outin bold re-
lief that the land has been reclaimed
for the benefit of the people.
Before the republican party came
into power it was the we'll settled pol.
icy Of the country to give lands to the
states with which to enable them to
encourage public improvements and
build them up. Upon the advent of the
republican party to power, this bene-
fcent and wise system was overturn-
ed and the policy Of direct sppropria-
ton of the public domain by the gov
eminent has prevailed, by which such
corporations as the Union, and North.
ern Pacific and other great railroads
have sprung up, out Of which grew the
Credit Mobilier, and by means of which
such vast ill-gottcn fortunes have been
acquired.
The policy of the present admin
stration is to bring back to the people
this vast domain stolen by these cor
p%orations, where the law granting
these lands has not been complied
with.
1t may be asked, what is the differ
ence between granting these lands to II
state to be used by it and the granting
direct by the general government 1t
seems almost to answer itself. In the
former case, the state is responsible to.
the people who have it in their power
to redress grievances, and remedy
evils, but in the case Of the general
government, thirty eight states have a
voice in the matter and it is proposed
to add two more, and thereby intensi-
fy and increase the difficulty of right
ing the wrong.
The people ofthe country generally,
particularly the west, have a right to
congratulate themselves that the ad.
minstration has the nerve to tackle
this gigantic fraud handed down by a
republican predecessor.
Appropriate to t g above we re-
commend to our readers a persual Of
the following, taken from an exchange,
we are sorry we did not note which
one:
Commissioner Sparks has submitted to the
secretary of the interior his report for the
isca! year ending Juns 80, 1887. Perhaps
no man has been worse abused than Com
missioner Sparks has by u certain class Of
politicians and settlers. But facts. speak
louder than words, and we gle.n u few for
the benefit of the bona tide settler, that he
may know what manner of man watches
over their interests: Total number of acres
of land restored to the public domain, 3D.
824.48l acres Railroad lands recommend.
ed and with cases still p,aliny, 9.t)J,4)o
acres Sales, entries and selections of pub
lie and Indian lands, 25,858,039 acrss--an
increase over the proceeding fiscal year of
3,733,414 acres. Receipts from the disposals
Of public and Indian lands, Sl2,268,223, an
increase over the proceeding year Of S3,247,-
127, which, with 1921 received on account
Of timber dcpredations and $l2,433 received
for certified copies Of the records furnished
by the lane office, makes the total receipts
for the year from I'll sources ar cunt to$l2,-
290,0OS. The xpecial agent service has bsen
eminently successful, considering the made
quate appropriations placed at its command.
AS a result of their investigations 10000
ACRES
have been cancelled for fraud, l0ll cases OF
depreciation or trespass reported upon, and
$l2S,642 recovered to the government through
judgement, fines, sales Of timber and COM
promises. The amount recovered is f53,642
in excess Of the appropriation, this fact o.
fectually settled the oft repeated assertion
that the expenses Of these in~vestig .tions s1-
coed the results. The COMMISSIONS recon-
msnds the segregation of all timber lands
from the area Of disposable public lands;
reservation to be established where necess-
airy and suitable measures adopted for the
disposal Of the remainder. He further re-
commends an entire reformation Of the land
laws retaining the homestead law A. the
only form of disposal of agricultural lands
and five years actual residence, improve
ment and cultivation the exclusive condition
of acquiring such lands. The report is full
Of other interesting facts and timely sug'
gsstions. The few We havs given recon-
mend themselves.